20. Lira

20

LIRA

T avish's jaw clenched, and I could feel the frustration coming through. "Is it the dragons?"

"No," Caelan responded.

"Then it can wait." Tavish resheathed his sword. "It's early, and I need more time with Lira before the day officially begins." His gaze landed on me, and he linked, You look blasting sexy wearing my shirt. I think when we do sleep with clothes on, you should wear this and not a nightgown.

Need knotted in my stomach, and I closed the distance between us.

"It can't, Tav," Finnian answered. "We just learned how the dragons knew that we would be here."

My feet stilled, and the floor seemed to tilt underneath me. "What do you mean?"

"At least I have Lira's attention," Finnian grumbled. "Tavish has been a slave to her—"

"Are you wanting death ? " Tavish bit, his head jerking to the door. "Because if you finish that statement, even our friendship won't save you. You won't disrespect Lira that way."

Something akin to a smack sounded from the other side of the door, followed by Caelan gritting out, "If he doesn't kill you, I will. Now isn't the time for your mouth to run rampant. Be quiet." His voice then grew louder. "We found someone trying to sneak into Aetherglen on the Cuil Dorcha side. We thought the two of you would want to interrogate him before we put him into prison."

I could read between the lines. They meant before they put him in the same place as Eldrin, who this person must be loyal to.

Must everything disturb our time alone together? Tavish rubbed his forehead and rolled his shoulders. "Finnian, be useful and go find Lira a gown to wear from Mother's closet. Hurry, and when you return, knock on the door, and I'll open it wide enough to retrieve it."

If we hadn't learned that a traitor had returned to our land, I would've found this moment comical, but not right now. We needed to know what this person told Pyralis and everything else that he knew before Eldrin could fill his mind with more propaganda or have him killed.

Tavish flew past me toward the closet, and I took the time to appreciate his naked form. My feet shuffled to get into position to watch him longer, but Nightbane cut in front of me, huffing. The cù-sìth lowered his head as if he were pouting.

Realizing that I hadn't given him as much attention as normal, I scratched behind his ears and kissed his forehead. He whimpered, leaning into me, and I wrapped my arms around his neck just as Tavish rejoined us.

He wore his typical black tunic and pants, giving me comfort that some things hadn't changed.

He smiled tenderly. I'm glad that the beast is loyal to you. Many fae are petrified of cù-sìth because some believe they're an omen of death.

"There's not a malicious bone in his body," I cooed, giving him another good scratch just as a knock sounded.

Tavish barreled to the door and cracked it open. He reached through the small gap, snagged the gown, then slammed the door.

"Ouch," Finnian whined. "That was my nose you hit."

"Then you were way too close."

Pressing my lips together to fight a grin, I removed the tunic and took the silver gown. Just like all the other ones I'd borrowed, the dress hugged my curves a little too tightly. I hoped my parents would bring me some of my own gowns upon their return later, but for now, this would do.

Once I was sufficiently covered, Tavish opened the door, and the two of us joined Finnian and Caelan in the hallway.

Black blood trickled from one of Finnian's nostrils, but he wiped it away and flew down the hall deeper into the castle. Tavish and I followed, and I tried not to get distracted by the pictures on the wall of Tavish with his parents.

Lanterns glowed every few feet, making it easier to see things here than back in the ruined dragon land. The hallway was long and bright, and soon, we came to a spiral staircase that curved the entire way down to the first floor.

The three of us flew over the railing to where Lorne and Finola stood with Buidhean, who'd informed Tavish of the mushrooms being destroyed.

My mouth dried, and Tavish's anger rose once more. The captive had his wings chained already, and Lorne and Finola flanked him, each gripping an arm.

Tavish growled. "So you were the one who informed the village of the destruction of our food supply." He glanced at Lorne and then Finola. "How did we not realize he was gone?"

"Various guards reported numbers since we didn't have the time or capacity to count everyone personally." Lorne winced. I noticed his skin was back to its normal complexion, no longer tinged black from dragon fire. "Clearly, that was a mistake, but we were trying to relocate all of our people at one time."

And he and Finnian weren't back to full health, I added, wanting to ensure that Tavish remembered that we were still down two of our most trusted people. None of this was the fault of our allies.

I landed in front of Lorne, knowing that Tavish needed to be the one who addressed the captive.

"Your Majesty, if we had even suspected—" Finola started.

Tavish lifted a hand as his feet hit the floor. "It's not anyone's fault except this guard, Eldrin, and whoever else is conspiring with them. They will be the ones to take the blame and die." He unsheathed his sword, ready to follow through on his words… or at least give the illusion of that intent.

"Right." The captive's voice deepened with hatred. "I'm going to die because I did what was best for our people. Why should I be punished for doing what needed to be done?"

Shaking his head, Caelan moved closer to Lorne and me and said, "The dragons don't care about our people."

"Who said I went to the dragons?" Buidhean lifted his chin, oozing defiance.

"Fair." Finnian steepled his hands. "Then what was the last mass of land you flew over before this one?"

I grinned, noting how specifically Finnian had worded his question. If this man had gone to the dragons, he wouldn't be able to say the true Cuil Dorcha unless he accounted for that question.

"Cuil Dorcha." The captive smirked, knowing he'd won this round.

"Then did you stray from traveling straight from the former Cuil Dorcha to here?" I straightened my back, wanting him to address me as well as the others. I didn't know why, but it seemed important.

He wrinkled his nose. "I don't have to answer to a blasting Seelie."

In a blur, Tavish had the tip of his blade to the prisoner's throat. "Yes, you do. She is my fated mate and the Unseelie's future queen."

Buidhean threw his head back and laughed, causing both Lorne and Finnian to jerk at the unexpected movement. Still, they tightened their hold, keeping the captive in place.

"What's so humorous?" Tavish rasped, digging the tip of the white blade into the man's throat. Blood trickled down the man's neck and hit the edge of his dark armor. "You don't think that I'll kill you?"

"It's funny that you think you'll continue to rule when Eldrin got us back to our rightful land."

I flinched, but before I could question what he meant by that, he continued, "The sunscorched will never be yours to wed. She's going to be Pyralis's bride, and there's nothing you can do about it. You'll be forced to watch as a prisoner while—"

Tavish rammed the blade through the man's throat, cutting off his words. Buidhean's eyes widened, and Tavish slid the sword in deeper, though he didn't need to. Tavish quivered with unbridled rage as he snarled, "She is mine . No one else's. I'll kill anyone who tries to come between us, including the ashbreath."

His emotions swirled through our bond with an intensity I'd never experienced before, making my mind race. Tavish was so close to losing every ounce of his self-control, all because the prisoner had just played on his biggest fear. We had two days to find an answer before our world fell apart.

I placed a hand on his shoulder, allowing our connection to spring to life. A bit of his craze ebbed, but not nearly enough. Something had to give, and I feared what it might be if we didn't come up with a solution. I loved Tavish, but I couldn't live with myself if I allowed my sister to die on my behalf.

Tavish kept his eyes locked on the captive as the man died. Finnian and Caelan glanced at each other. Even without a fated-mate bond, the strain on their faces informed me that they realized the same thing I had.

Their king, my mate, was completely volatile.

"Tav, I'm quite certain he's dead," Finnian said, leaning in front of Tavish and poking the captive in the chest.

The man didn't grunt, flinch, or move in any way except from the momentum of the jab.

"I wish I could bring him back to life so I could kill the thornling again." Tavish bared his teeth and placed his foot on Buidhean's chest. "Release him," he commanded.

As soon as Lorne and Finola obeyed and stood to the side, Tavish shoved the man off his blade, allowing him to fall in a heap on the floor. His blood covered the blade, but Tavish didn't hesitate to put the sword back into its sheath.

He reminded me of the man he'd been when he'd kidnapped me, but with an even darker edge.

Stepping over the dead man's body, he held out his hand to me and said, "Let's go find something to eat. You must be starving." His eyes lightened as they focused on me, revealing the kindhearted man who still resided there.

Food was the last thing on my mind after what I'd just seen. Still, I nodded, wanting to get both of us away from the body.

"We'll stay here and clean up this mess and meet you after you've had time to calm down." Finnian folded his wings tightly behind him, though he forced a small smile.

"That would be wise." Tavish nodded, intertwining our hands and leading me deeper into the first floor. A gigantic rectangular table sat to our left in a room lit by vine chandeliers glowing with candles. The table was made of the dark wood that grew in the Unseelie land and with sizable chairs made of leaves at each place. The floor-to-ceiling windows behind and to the side of the table were all open air, similar to the dining room in the castle back in Gleann Solas, giving us a view of the village at the foot of the castle.

On the table sat a large bowl full of water, which Tavish headed to and placed both hands in to wash off the blood.

As soon as we sat down, Sine hurried in with lemon bursts, honey, and bread. She placed plates in front of Tavish and me and then returned a few seconds later with glasses of water.

I took a bite of the bread and honey and glanced out the window, noticing the villagers already leaving their houses, working on getting the village put back together once again. The cottages resembled the ones back home but were made with the darker wood and the evergreen bristles of the Unseelie land.

We sat in silence as tension continued to radiate from Tavish, so I reached across, touching his arm. You killed him. The deed is done. You can calm down now.

But I can't. His face twisted in agony. Because we have two days, and we're no closer to freeing you from this blasted vow. I know you're going to demand to go and free your sister, but Lira, I'm not joking when I say I couldn't survive it. Knowing you were with him, married to him, and having— He closed his eyes, and sharp anguish shot between us.

A vise tightened around my heart, making it hard to breathe. Thorn, I… I wasn't sure what to say. I couldn't promise him what he needed because I couldn't lie. I don't want to turn myself over either, but we can't risk a war while Eiric is their prisoner. I have to hand myself over to save her, but that doesn't mean I'll remain. However, if the vow isn't dissolved, then—

There was a chance I'd be forced to remain with Pyralis. I couldn't say those words, but I didn't have to. He knew exactly what I meant.

The crazed sensation grew once again, his emotions taking my breath away when I heard Father ask from the other room, "What blasting happened? Is the dead man out front the captive my guard alerted us about?"

My stomach tightened, making the few bites of bread sit heavier than before.

"It is," Caelan answered simply.

"Why is he dead?" Mother pressed. "He needed to be questioned."

"Well, your royal Seelieness, I assure you he didn't stab himself in the neck. That was done by our fearless king himself," Finnian deadpanned.

After a pause, Mom broke the silence. "Without allowing us to question him ourselves? Did he at least provide valuable information?"

More awkward silence.

Tavish flew from his seat in the direction of the foyer.

Not wanting to be left behind, I followed, and as soon as he entered the room with the others, he said, "He was my responsibility, and I took care of him."

"That is one way of putting it." Finnian rolled his eyes. "But it might have been beneficial to not kill him within the first five minutes."

Tavish's wings expanded. "Are you questioning my judgment?"

I couldn't stand back and let Tavish's fear control him once more.

I pushed around his wings so that the others could see me. "He's dead. Arguing won't bring him back to life. We need to turn our focus forward and not argue over something that can't be changed."

Dad turned toward me, lifting both his hands. "Lira, I understand your point, but have you noticed how many times you've had to say that very thing about him?"

Now rage spiked inside me, boiling my blood. "And about you all too. Don't forget, you aren't innocent in this either. Maybe you didn't kill Tavish's parents, but none of this is Tavish's or my fault. We were children when all this happened, and we're handling each situation the best we can. Casting judgment is easy, but taking responsibility for your own actions takes a strong person, which, right now, none of you seem to be doing except Tavish. He isn't blaming someone else for making him kill the traitor, so maybe you all should take a hard look at yourselves!"

All four of them recoiled, and the comforting warmth of love floated through our connection from Tavish. The sense of fury disappeared, and some of the stress left my body.

Chuckling, Caelan bowed his head. "Lira is right. We need to discuss strategy. The four of us have been up all night, trying to devise a plan that will work against Eldrin. We couldn't think of anything. All Eldrin cares about is himself. Hurting someone else won't break him, and if we injure him, he'll enjoy it, knowing we're doing it because we need information."

Father stroked his beard. "Does he have any children? A lover?"

"The only lover he's ever had is himself." Finnian snorted. "I mean, he's fornicated with men and women, but he doesn't care for anyone. He wouldn't blink if you killed them."

"We haven't eaten this morning, and our people delivered food to the castle last night." Mother curtseyed. "Why don't we all move into the dining hall where we can have breakfast and strategize? I'd prefer to get away from the blood on the floor."

I could hug Mother for giving Tavish the respect he deserved as the ruler here, but I didn't want to make her feel more uncomfortable than she already was.

Tavish placed his hand on my shoulder, the buzz springing up between us. "Yes, we can move it in there and continue this conversation."

"Perfect," Father said and patted my shoulder.

Finnian cleared his throat, and when I looked in his direction, he mouthed, Need to talk to you alone.

Taking my wrist, Tavish tugged, wanting me to walk beside him to the dining area.

I need to check on Nightbane and run to the bathroom. At that moment, I realized I would have to make a pit stop, so I wasn't lying. Go on, and I'll join you in a minute.

Let me know if you need me, he replied, releasing me and leading my parents to the dining hall.

I moved to the stairwell and headed upstairs to follow through on my promise.

Caelan and Finnian followed me, and I flew into our bedchamber to lower the risk of being overheard. I opened the door to find Nightbane lying on the bed, snoring, and turned to face Tavish's best friends.

"What's going on? Why do you want to talk to me without Tavish?" I leaned back on my heels and crossed my arms.

"We're worried about him." Finnian bit his bottom lip. "The way he acted this morning at the mention of you and the dragon prince—it's only going to get worse if we don't get answers from Eldrin about how to break that vow."

"You calmed him down, but the closer we get to the deadline, the harder that will be." Caelan rubbed his hands together. "We need to figure out a plan quickly because you're the only thing that grounds him."

No pressure. "And you're concerned about how my parents might react if they knew." The last unhinged Unseelie king had killed himself and his wife. Fuck.

But then the answer hit me. I knew what to do to get Eldrin to come clean. Something Buidhean had said earlier had given me the answer.

I surged forward, swiping Finnian's sword, and flew over their heads and out the nearest window.

With determination like nothing I'd ever felt before, I flew to the dungeon and pounded on the door. It cracked open, and Struan tilted his head back. "Lira?"

"Let me in," I commanded, not wanting to be questioned.

He narrowed his eyes and then shrugged, allowing me in.

Then I gestured to Eldrin's cell. "I need to go in there."

"Alone?" He looked over my shoulder, obviously expecting Tavish to be with me.

I unfolded my wings and raised the sword. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"Fate, no." He stumbled back a few steps and unlocked the cell. "I just don't want you or Tavish to kill me."

I shoved past him, entering the cell. Eldrin smirked, and I chuckled darkly then lunged right at him.